Improvement in ice-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. B. MARTIN. ICE-MACHINE.

Patented Feb'. 8, 1876;"-

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FETERS. PHDTD LITHOGRAPNER ASH NETON D C ZSheets-Sheet Z. A S. B. MARTIN.

. ICE-MACHINE. N0.173,313 Patented Feb. 8, 1,876..

N-PEERS. PHDTDLITHOGRAPHEIL WASHINGTON. D. E.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Errea SAMUEL B. MARTIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ICE-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,3 13, dated February 8, 1876; application filed January 28, 1876.

To all whom it mcy concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. MARTIN, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented an linprovement in Machines for the Manufacture of lce, Refrigerating Rooms, and other like purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

This invention relates particularly to that class of ice-machines in which an incongealable liquid is caused to ow through a hollow congealing or freezing plate; and it consists mainly, first, in causing the incongealable liquid to iiow continuously through the hollow freezing-plate until the desired amount of ice is formed, and then interrupting said flow by closing the openings inthe plate, and raising the temperature `of the contained liquid for the purpose of detaching the ice by independent and auxiliaryr means 5 second, in the combination of the hollow freezing-plates, having gates adapted to close its openings and retain the contained liquid, with an independent pipe, adapted to permit the flow of the Huid for raising the temperature of the inclosed liquid, substantially as described; third, in the combination ot' a series of hollow freezing ;plates, a single circulating apparatus,

adapted to cause the continuous flow of the ,y incongealable liquid through all the freezingplates, independent gates for interrupting the ow through any plate of the series, and independent pipes adapted to raise the temperature of the inclosed liquid in any one ot' the freezing-plates; fourth, in` adapting the condenser, by enlargement at the proper points, to receive and hold the vaporized liquid or gas in its expanded state, and reduce the pressure upon the compressiiig-pump. It consists, further, in certain details of construction, which, in connection with the foregoing, will be fully described hereinafter.

In the. drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of the congealer or freezing-tank; Figs. 2 and 3, partial perspective views of the freezing-plates; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the main parts of the machine; and Fig. 5 an enlarged view of the condenser.

To enable others skilled in the art to make my machine, anduse it in accordance with my method of making ice, I will now proceed todescribe fully the construction and operation of the same.

Fig. 1 represents atank subdivided by the partitions to form the central freezingtank F and surrounding passageways or chambers,L for containing the incongealable liquid. B B represent independent hollow freezingplates, secured rigidly to each end to the transverse partitions x x, which latter are provided with proper openings controlled by gates H operated by racks and pinions I, as shown in Fig. 2.

E E represent partitions of equal length, which are secured, successively, to opposite walls, as shown, to form a single continuous passage-way of great length. A1 represents a single pipe, connected at its outer end, in any proper manner, to the receiver containing the volatile liquid, which pipe is coiled in proper stacks within the passage-way, as shown, the single pipe, however, after extending a proper distance, terminating in a joint or coupling, which unites it to two pipes, A, which theinselves terminate, after extending a proper distance, in a joint or coupling holding three pipes, these being connected at the point of discharge to a single pipe, A2, of area equal to that of the three combined. C C represent paddle-wheels operated in any proper manner to cause the incongealable liquid. in the passage-ways to circulate continuously between; the stacks of pipe, and through the hollow freezing-plates, as indicated. by the arrows in Y Fig. 1. K, Fig. 3, represents an independent pipe, located in each of the freezing-plates, and, preferably, coiled in the lower part, as shown, the same being adapted to receive a proper luid from any proper source, the ow of which is controlled by the cock K1, and discharge the same at the point K2, as shown.

The specific construction of the freezingplates is shown in Fig. 3, the same being provided with vertical ribs and horizontal partitions having longitudinal openingsby means of which construction the tlow of the liquid is, to a certain extent, interrupted and broken up forfthe'purpose of bringing all its particles in v contact with the walls of the plate.

L, Fig. 4, represents a tank located below the main tank, in which is caught the waterused in detachn g the ice, the same being conveyed through proper pipes controlled by cocks M, Fig. 5, to the perforated sprinklingtubes 0 o.

S represents a cylinder employed for the purpose of receiving-the rarefLed gas from the compressing-pump, the samevbeing enlarged to accommodate the expanded gas, and reduce the pressure upon the pump, which cylinder Sl is united, by means of the four lon-gitudinal pipes a ct a a, to the side cylinders S, which are, in their turn, connected by the three longitudinal pipes b b b to the continuation of cylinder S', which, however, is distinctly separated from it by an intervening block or plug, 1J. This portion of the cylinder is again connected, by means of the two longitudinal pipes c c, to the continuation or lower extension of Y the side cylinder S, separated into independent chambers bythe intervening block or plug V2. This cylinder is again united, by a single pipe, d, to the lowest portion of the cylinder S', below the lower block fv, and the latter,- by means of a pipe, V, to the receiver R.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The volatile liquid 'employed as the cooling agent Hows from the receiver R, Figs. 4 and 5, through pipe A,`Fig. l, into stacks Ain the tank containingtheincongealable liquid, and, abstracting heat therefrom, expands more and more as it continues its movement, and lls the increased area afforded by the increased number of pipes, it finally being conveyed through the large pipe A2 to the compressingpump and the condenser, the same entering the latter at the upper part of the cylinder S', and passing through the pipes, which constantly decrease in number as the gas is reduced in volume. By returning to the liquid form it arrives at last inthe receiver again.

The incongealable liquid, being cooled by contact with the stacks of pipes holding the cooling agent, is caused to flow through the hollow freezing-plates e, the gates at each end being open, into the outer passage-way in which the paddles are located, and from thence through between the stacks of pipes again into the freezing-plates, this circulation being continued as long as it is desired to continue the freezing action.

The ice is detached in the following manner: When the ice has been formed sufficiently thick upon any one of the freezing-plates, the gates are closed at each end, so that the flow of the incongealable liquid through that plate is entirely cnt 0E.

Water or proper fluid is then permitted to flow through the pipe K, by means of which laction the temperature of the contained in` congealable liquid i s raised sufficiently to permit the ice to be readily detached.

When this has been accomplished the supply of water is cut off, and, the gates being opened, the continuous circulation of the incongealable liquid is resumed, thev contained liquidhaving been raised in temperature, of course rising t0 the top of that which is cooler, in which position it does not reduce to. any appreciable extent the temperature of the remaining portion.

Some of the advantages of the described construction are as follows Each plate of the series is independent of the others, so that while the action of the machine may be continuous any plate may be temporarily cut off for the purpose of removing the ice. v

The detaching agent is entirely independent of the cooling agent, it being confined to an independent pipe. If desired, steam or air may be employed instead of water for detaching the ice.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The described method of freeing ice from the congealing-plates by causing a current of water, or other liquid of moderate temperature, to flow through pipes immersed in the congealing-luid which fills said plates, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the hollow freezingplate, having gates adapted to close its openings and retain the inclosed liquid, with an independent pipe adapted to permit the flow of the fluid for raising the temperature of the inclosed liquid, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the series of independent hollow freezing-plates, a single circulating apparatus adapted to cause the'continuous flow of the incongealable liquid through all the freezing-plates, independent gates for interrupting the ow through any freezing'- plate, and independent pipes adapted to raise the temperature of the inclosed liquid in any one of the freezing-plates, substantially as described.

4. The condenser described, formed of a ysystem of -pipes arranged in independent series, decreasing in number as described, for the purpose set forth.

5. Thefreezing-plate, provided with the horizontal partitions and vertical ribs, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the gates H, and racks and pinion I, with the partitions a', and the freezing-plate B, as described.

' 7. Thecombination of the paddle-wheels C C, the tank containing the incongealable liquid, and the freezing-plates B, as described.

8. In an ice-machine, the combination of the stacks of pipes of gradually-increasing area, with the condenser of gradually-decreasing area, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the cylinders S S S, and the intermediate condensingpipes T T T, as described. p

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

SAML. B. MARTIN. [L. s]

Witnesses:

C. W. M. SMITH,

E. V. J oIcE. 

